THESE are the shocking photos of the remains of a 22-year-old cat shot three times by heartless thugs who also slit her throat.

Kimmy's owner Peter Ambler has been left devastated after thugs shot his cat

Pensioner Peter Ambler, 70, was left devastated when he discovered the body of Kimmy, who he had rescued when she was eight-years-old, in a bush outside his home in Spondon, Derbyshire.

Kimmy had gone missing just two days before and the 70-year-old animal rescuer had already searched the bush where he found her body dumped.

Mr Ambler claims Kimmy is the latest in a string of rescue animals and birds of his that has been shot by youths in the area with air rifles - and he believes it won't be long until someone is seriously injured.

Officers are hunting the sick shooters after one cat was shot and stamped to death before being hurled into a field and another two miraculously survived.

RSPCA figures reveal 251 animals have been the victims of airgun attacks in England and Wales since January 2016.

Last year 939 animals were injured or killed in shootings.

The shootings come as more than 10,000 people have signed an Express.co.uk petition calling for the Government to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty offences from 26 weeks imprisonment to two years.